Manufacture of hats



Feb. 27, 1945. w w wlNSEN 2,370,509

MANUFACTURE OF HATS Filed NOV. 14, 1941 Patented Feb. 27, 1945 Walter Wolf Winsen, Johannesburg, Transvaal,

I Union ,of South Africa Application November 14, 1941, Serial No. 419,091

In the Union of South Africa August 23, 1941 1 Claim; (Cl. 2-i92) I This invention relates to the manufacture of hats, more particularly to the production of the brims of hats from flat material such as woven,

straw.

Various ways have been proposed'for producing hat brims of this type. One proposal provided a block or form on which the damped material was stretched and fastened so that on drying it was shaped asdesired. Preferably there were two thicknesses of the material in the brim and to reinforce it there was formed at the edge an inwardly directed fold so as to make at this point four thicknesses ofmaterial. At the same time an upright portion of the same material around the centre opening in the brim was provided as a I means of attaching the crown of the hat.

This invention is for an improved hat brim of this type, in which the finished brim has a single smooth reinforced edge. The entire brim is formed in one operation and from one piece of material using for its production a block or form of special design. The finished article has an enhanced artistic effect in that the weave of the material, such as straw, is so set during the forming operation that the straws become curved giving, what is known in the art, an exotic effect, and with the double thickness of straw a moire is formed.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. I is a side elevation, partly in section, of a I Figs. XE, XII and XIII are sections of modified forms of brims.

In the drawing I0 is the material which is usually a strip cut diagonally or on a.'bias from a flat woven sheet with its short edges I I- -Il stitched together so that it becomes a cylinder I2 of the required size. In some cases the cylinder of material may be made without a joint, for instance on a knitting machine, in the well known manner. Said cylinder is made large enough .to be pulled over the outside circumference of the forming block I3 and usually wide enough to form, the width of the brim twice over, one or more reinforcing folds, and also a turned up rin I4 for attaching the crown of the hat.

instance, aluminium, or a combination of such materials.

'Thus in starting to form the brim, the cylinder I2 is turned inside out, that is with the finished or right side of the material on the inside of the cylinder. It may be damped to soften it and it isthen passed over the block I3 so that the edge I5 is approximately half way down the height of the cylinder I2. A thin cord I6 is passed round the block I3 below the edge I5. This cord I5 is tightened either by expanding the space between the two halves I'I-II of the block I3, as in Fig. VI, or by passing a loop I8 of the cord I6 through the material Ill (preferably at the seam I I) and through a small hole I9 in the side of the block and straining the cord by a spring, lever, or other tensioning device 20. The upper portion of the cylinder I2 of mate-. rial I!) is now brought down over surface 2| and its edge I4 bunched up, whilst leaving the surface of the material on surface 2| smooth and secured by a cord 22 round the projection 23, see Fig. I, or down over edge 24, that is down inside the centre 25 of the block I3 and secured by pins or spring clips 26 or by other convenient means, see Fig. X. The lower portion of the cylinder I2 isnow turned over the top portion of the material already in position on surface 2I of block I3 so as to make a fold over cord I6 and over the edge I5, that is the lower edge of cylinder I2, is brought over to meet the top edge I4 secured by .cord 22 or by means 26 toform a double circle I4 of the material I0 upstanding from the surface of the double brim.

The material I0 is set by drying it in position on block I3. It is then removed by releasing the cord I6. Such release is effected by decreasing the circumference of the block I3 as shown in Fig. VI. For instance by screwing the nut 21 to form the Fig. V shows the'form of brim known prior to I this invention. The edges 29, 30 were: produced 7 by a cord l6 fastened into a groove and exposed on the outside of the block so that it could be cut to remove it. The block in such a case was finished as above described. The resulting section of the brim is shown-in Fig. IV.

Should it be desired to have a second reinforced ring in. the brim the block [3 is modified to the form shown in section in Fig. X. The resulting sections of the brim are shown in Figs. XII or XIII. Figs, XII and IHII are alternative forms depending whether one or both layers of the material are caught in the recess 32 (Fig. X)

-bya. second cord IS. The form Fig. XIII'will require two supplementary cords [6 or three cords in all as will be evident from the foregoing descriptio'nof the operation and Fig. XIII.

double ended so that each: half of: the cylinder l2 was formed on the top andbottompart'zot the: block respectively. When pressed up the edges the cylinder t2 of. material is. narrower and its upper edge isbrought below the. edge t5.- of the blockbut just. far enough upfor it to. be; fastened by cord was above described. That is; the upper half of the cylinder L2 is absent and only sulficient material isretained above the fold for cord Hi.- to hold the same. The lower portion of. the cylinder I2 is thenturned. up; over edge l5 and In Fig. VIII is shown aportion of the weave of the materialmaking up the cylinder l2 and in Fig. IX is shown how the strands of the weave -are--. curved: by the manipulation of the material above described. It will be evident that because the Lower half of the cylinder of material is folded up over the top half, the angle of the bias in the weavezwill be: reversed. and. consequently thesubsequent curves; will lie in: the reverse direction. The.- superimposition of the: material and; consequently the semi-superimposition of these curves in. the top and; bottom layers-of" material. Isl]; will give to the finished: brim. a beautiful moir effect when. a woven. material such as straw is used;

What: 1 claim as: newahdi desire: to secure by Letters: Patent-is:

A hat: brim. made? of. a single piecezucf woven fabric and consisting of: two thicknesses ofthe material having; the strands. making: up the weave radiatingjin curves andninopposite directions in each thickness and reinforced. at the edge-by a fold upon itself of the: double thickness of the material.

WALTER WQLF WINSEN; 

